This invention relates to a tube squeezer in which a closed end of a tube is wound on a winding shaft so as to squeeze out the contents of the tube.
FIG. 3(a) shows a conventional tube squeezer in which a closed end of a tube, filled with contents such as a paste, is wound on a winding shaft so as to fully squeeze the paste out of an open portion of the tube. More specifically, a slit 2 is axially formed in the outer periphery of the winding shaft 1, and the lower end 4 of the tube 3 is inserted into the slit 2. The tube 3 is grasped, and a handle 5 connected to one end of the winding shaft 1 is rotated to wind the tube 3 around the winding shaft 1, thereby squeezing the contents of the tube 3 out of its upper open portion 6.
However, in the conventional tube squeezer of the above construction, if the hand holding the tube 3 is moved off the tube when a large amount of the paste (contents) is squeezed from the tube, the winding of the tube 3 is located as shown in FIG. 3(b). Therefore, for squeezing the tube 3 again, the winding shaft 1 must be rotated again by a certain amount corresponding to the loosening. This problem can be overcome by providing a lock mechanism for locking the wound tube 3 relative to the winding shaft 1. However, conventional lock mechanisms have been found disadvantageous in that a locking force is weak, and that such lock mechanism is less practical because the pitch of a locking angle is too large.
As described above, the conventional tube squeezer suffers from the problem that if the hand is moved off the tube when winding the tube on the winding shaft, the winding of the tube is loosened. Further, even in the conventional construction provided with the lock mechanism for locking the tube relative to the winding shaft, the locking force is weak, and also is less practical because the pitch of the locking angle is too large.